Clothes-drier



(No Model.)

D. A. DICKSON.

CLOTHES DRIBR.

lharrnn lSTaTns PATTI-TNT @Tries DAVID A. DICKSON, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA,

CLCTHSHRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 310,387,345, dated August7, 18819. v Application llcd July $2, 1886. Renewed December 16, 1887.Serial No. 258.142. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, DAVID A. DIcKsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented anew and useful Improvement in ClothesDriers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes-driers; and it consistsof the peculiar combination and novel construction and arrangement ofthe various parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully setforth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved clothes-drier inwhich the arms for holding clothing and other substances that may besuspended on the arms can be elevated at any desired elevation above theiioor or ground, and for locking them in such elevated position so thatthey are notliable to fall accidentallyr A further object of myinvention is to provide the clothesdrier with means for elevating thearms which shall be almost wholly concealed from view and be therebyprotected from injury, and to improve the parts in minor details so thatthey will be simple and strong in construction, thoroughly effective forthe purpose designed, and cheap.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus trate a clothes-drierembodying my invention, Figure l is apcrspective view. Fig. 2 isvertical central sectional view through the vertical standard and thedevices for elevating the radial arms. Fig. 3 is a detail view of thelatch for locking the adjustable sleeve at any desired elevation. Fig. 4is a like view ofthe adjustable collar with a portion of the rack whichis connected therewith, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modication ofmy invention.

Referring tothe drawings, in which like let` ters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the base, which isof any preferred form, the one herein shown comprising four radialsills, nn-'hielt meet and are connected together at a common point. Tothe middle of this base is secured the main standard B, which isdisposed in a vertical position and braced by inclined struts B', andthe standard B is reduced at its upper end to forni an auxiliarystandard C of smaller diameter or size, a shoulder or ledge, Z, beingprovided between the main and the auxiliary standards,upon which theadjustable sleeve D is adapted to rest when it s lowered, so that theattendant can easily and readily reach the radial arms that are carriedby the adjustable sleeve. The au Xiliary standard is made sub stantiallysquare or rectangular in form, and the shape oi' the opening through thevertically-adjustable sleeve D is of the same form, so that the sleeveis Aprevented from rotating horizontally, and is thereby caused to movesteadily upon the standard. The auxiliary standard or upright C isfurther provided with a longitudinal central passage or channel, c, andwith aligned slots c', which open through the sides of the uprights andinto the central channel thereof, and the central channel extendsentirely through the main standard B, so that a rack-bar, E, can movefreely through the channels without obstruction therefrom. The rack-barEis connected with the upper end of the vertically-adjustable sleeve, D,by means of a transverse pin or shaft, c, which passes through the saidbarand is secured in the sleeve, and the pin or shaft passes through theslots c of the auxiliary standard when the bar and the sleeve are adjusted vertically. The rack-bar is provided on one side with a series ofequidistant notches or teeth, c', and on its opposite side withgearteeth, with the latter of which meshes a driving-pinion, F, that islocated in a slot,f, of the main standard B, and is carred or rigidlysecured on a shaft, j", that is journaled in the main upright orstandard,onc end of the shaft being extended beyond the upright B, andhaving a crank or handle, F', for its convenient rotation by hand toelevate and lower the rack and the arms, as more fully describedpresently. The opposite end of the shaft of the drivingpinion is alsoextended through the main upright B, and receives a key or pin, f2, thatis passed therethrough and bears on a Wear-plate or washeigf, and thepinion itself is concealed from view within the main upright B byineansof a plate, G, having the slots g, through which are passed pins g', orthe like, to secure the concealing-plate to the outer face of thestandard E, the plate being movable vertically to permit the lower endof the plate to clear the lowermost pin g', and then swing the platelaterally for the purpose of having access to the pinion for any cause.

ICO

The adjustable sleeve D is free to move or slide up or down on theauxiliary standard, and at itslower edge it has a flange or rib,d,onwhich rests a collar, II, which is thereby supported and is free torotate horizontally around the adjustable sleeve and independently ofthe vertical play or movement thereof'.

The rotatable collar II is provided with integral sockets h, in whichare fitted and secured the inner ends of the radial arms H of the drier,on which are hung or suspended the clothing or fabrics which it isdesired to dry. These arms may be connected by cords,wires, or otherlike means to provide increased space for hanging a larger quantity ofclothing, die.

The angles or corners of the auxiliary upright C are protected andcovered by metallic rods or stripsj, which are suitably aiiixed to thesaid upright, and against which the inner opposing faces of theadjustable sleeve bear in its movements to prevent the said sleeve fromcoming in contact with the standard C itself and wearing the latteraway; and the upper end ofthe standard C is surmonnted by a cap, J,which is rigidly secured in place and serves also to prevent thevertically-adj ustable sleeve, the collar, and the arms from beingelevated too far.

K designates shields of thin pliable or flexible material,which aresecured at their upper ends to the adj ustable-sleeve D,and whichconceal the slots c of the standard C from view,so that no dirt or othermatter can enter the slots and thus adhere to the rack and clog up theteeth thereof, the said shields working in the space It, formed betweenthe main and auxiliary standards. v

I will now proceed to describe the latch for holding the rack and thedevices actuated thereby atanydesired elevation above the floor.

L designates a lever or iinger-pieee, which is provided near or at oneend with a thumbpiece, Z, and near its middle this lever is piv otedbetween parallel lugs or flanges m of a base-plate, M, that is rigidlyand rnily affixed to the main standard B at a point thereon about inline with the drive-pinion. To the otherfree end of this pivoted leveris connected one end of a catch, N, which works in a slot or transverseopening, n, of the standard B, the said slot or opening communicatingwith the central channel, c', of the standards B C, as shown. This catchor latch N is normally projected into the channel c and in the path ofthe teeth or notches on the rack-bar E,with which the latch is adaptedto be engaged to hold the rack-bar at any desired elevation by means ofaretracting-spring, 11",which is fitted or inclosed in a recessedportion of the standard. By depressing the thumb-piece l of the pivotedlever L the latch will be drawn inwardly and out of engagement with theteeth of the rack-bar, so that the latter can be adjusted vertically byturning the crank of the driving-pinion shaft in the proper direction.

To more effectually prevent the pivoted lever from being actuatedaccidentally by an object striking against the free end thereof, Iprovide an adjustable stop plate, which is affixed to the standard B sothat it can be moved vertically and lie in rear of or beneath the freeend of the pivoted lever. This stop-plate is provided at its upper endwith a right-angled lug or fiange, p, that is adapted to bear againstand limit the inward play or movement ofthe lever when it is in itselevated position, and the said plate is further provided withlongitudinal slots r and r', the former of which is arranged at theupper end of the stop-plate and intersects with or cuts into the rightangled fiange p of said plate. A staple or eye, It, is adapted to enterthe slot r of the stopplate when the latter is elevated, to cause itsflange or lug p to lie in the path ofthe free end ofthe lever L, andtohold this platein its elevated position I employ a locking device, R,(preferably a padlock.) of any approved pat tern, that is adapted totake beneath the iiange p, and thus prevent the descent of the plate.Pins or screws s pass through the slot r' of the stop-plate to preventthe displacement thereof on the standard B and to limit the verticalplay or movement of the plate. l

In order to prevent the lever from retrograde movement when the latch isin engagement with the raclcbar, the stop-plate is elevated by hand, sothat the screws s and staple will ride in the slots thereof, and thearmp will iit in rear of the lower end thereof, after which the padlockis connected to the staple to prevent the stop-plate from descending,and thereby hold its arm in contact with the lever. To release thelever, it is only necessary to remove the lock and force the stop-platedownwardly.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

Various slight changes in the forni and proportion of parts can be madewithout departing from the principle of my invention.

In lieu of using the spring-pressed catch or latch, a spring, S, may besecured at one end to a recess within the standard, so that its oppositefree end will project into the path of the teeth on the sliding bar tohold it at any desired elevation, and. with this free end of the catchis connected one end of a link, which is controlled and actuated by thepivoted thumb piece or lever, as shown in Fig. 5.

I am aware that clothes-driers designed to be raised by hand have beenprovided with a notched rigid standard, and a latch on the drier-frameto engagethe notches of the standard and hold the drier-frame at anyelevation. This7 broadly, I disclaim.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a clothes-drier, the combination of a hollow standard, a rack-barworking therein and having aseries of notches on one side and IOO IIO

' carrying the radial arms at its upper end, a

shaft carrying a pinion, a spring-controlled latch housed within arecess in the standard and normally projected toward the rack-bar, and apivoted lever located on the outside of the standard and connected withthe latch, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a clothes-drier, the combination of the standard, the rack-barcarrying a sleeve and the radial arm and inclosed within the standard, aspring-pressed latch normally projected into the path of the teeth onthe rack-bar, a pivoted lever connected with the latch for Withdrawingit from engagement with the bar,and a vertically-adjustable stop-plateadapted to be moved into the path of the free end of the pivoted lever,substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the standard, the rack-bar having the notches orteeth and carrying the sleeve and the radial arms, the spring-pressedlatch adapted to enter one of the notches of the rack-bar, a pivotedlever connected with the latch, a plate in which the lever is pivoted,and a stop-plate having the extended ange or lug, and the longitudinalslots through which are passed the guide-pins and a staple or eye,withthe latter of which a locking device is adapted to be connected toprevent retrograde movement ofthe stop-plate7 substantially asdescribed, for thepurpose set forth.

4L. In a clothes-drier, the combination ofthe main and auxliarystandardsor uprights of different diameters with the intermediate shoulder orflange, and provided With the central channel and the slots c', theWear-strips at the corners of the auxiliary upright, the cap surmountingthe said auxiliary standard,the rackbar inclosed Within the standardsand having the notches, the sleeve fitted over the auxiliary standardand connected With the racl-bar, the collar carrying the radial arms andloosely itted on the sleeve, a pinion for moving the rack-barvertically, a spring-pressed latch normally projected into the path ofthe teeth of. the racltlbar, and a pivoted lever connected with thelatch, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

DAVID A. DICKSON. lVitnesses:

THEO. T. HEEDsoN, ALFRED J AQUns.

